The life of princess Daisy
by Writer207
Summary: The life of princess Daisy, from her birth until she walked into a glowing tunnel. Because she can't have grown up in a prison cell all her life.
1. The birth

**Hello everyone, and welcome to a new story of mine! I've been intrigued by Roman and medieval times since I can remember and Best Friends Whenever now has a princess from medieval times in their regular cast. I couldn't let the opportunity pass by and decided to write some sort of prologue to Daisy's life in modern times. I should mention there will be no mention of Cyd, Shelby, Barry or Naldo at all, or until we're at the end. Sebastian may show up or be mentioned, but that's it. Also, this will probably be sporadically updated until I have finished one of my other stories. I do this to prevent updating each story once a month while I can also finish one story sooner with more regular updates. Everyone loves regular updates more than sporadical ones, so you'll have to wait a while before this story will be updated regularly.**

 **Okay, this is getting a bit long AN, so here is the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day in the spring. After the cold winter, the forests of North Upswich seemed to come back to life. The animals left their holes and resting places to see the beginning of a new warm season. The birds returned from the southern lands and the deer and swine came out in the open again as the trees and flowers blossomed.

Today was a perfect day for hunting. A delegate of twenty men rode out at dawn and arrived at their desired hunting spot a few hours later. They hadn't been hasty, nor would they be during the hunt – they would spend the night in one of the nearby villages, if they had to. Only one of those twenty men was allowed to hunt in these forests. That man was Leofrick Grundenwald, King of North Upswich with his trusted guards.

The King liked hunting, and today was the first time he could go hunting again after the cold months of winter. It was one of his most beloved things to do. He normally liked more adventurous events than hunting, but he could not engage in such activities anytime soon. He was bound to this province – his wife, Queen Lavinia, was pregnant with their first child.

King Leofrick loaded the arrow onto the crossbow when he saw a doe. The old man who taught him how to hunt was sitting next to him. The remaining eighteen men stood a few hundred yards away from them – the noise they'd make would scare the animals away. The King aimed for the doe, closing one eye for maximal chance of killing it. he was about to let the arrow fly when a fawn jumped out of the bushes towards the doe. The King lowered his crossbow and he and the hunter watched mother and child leave.

"You could've had him, your Majesty."

"It would be unfair, Martin. That fawn doesn't stand a chance without his mother." Their conversations in the woods usually consisted of a couple of statements at the tone of barely audible whispers. They didn't want to scare the animal away. Leofrick could just as easily release the dogs in the forest, but he wanted to do it himself.

A hare ran into their sight. He sat on its hind legs and looked around, its ears up for any sign of danger. Slowly, silently, the King lifted up the crossbow and aimed for the hare. Suddenly, it turned towards the group of two and before the King could shoot, the hare raced away from this place.

The King sighed and rose from his hiding place. Next to him, Martin did the same. It had not been them, but the sound of hooves that had scared the hare. The King and hunter walked in the direction of the guards, hearing how the sound of hooves grew louder with every passing second.

"This isn't good," Martin said and Leofrick nodded in agreement. They were not allowed to interrupt him while he was hunting unless there was an emergency. Soon, they saw the blonde messenger coming closer to them. He had already passed the guards. It was one of his personal messengers. He wore his armor with the Grundenwald banner on his chest: a black oak tree on a green and silver background. Both the horse and its driver were exhausted – they had not taken a break. Whatever it was, was important enough to have ridden the full two hours it takes to come here.

"Your Majesty," the messenger began, but he continued to pant and he could not finish his sentence. His decision not to take a break prevented him from saying anything else.

"Martin, help the guy," Leofrick said. Martin nodded and walked to the messenger, helping him off the horse. The blonde man thankfully let the hunter get him off the horse and made it easier for the hunter when necessary. Soon, the man sat on the ground and Martin led the horse to the guard's horses.

The messenger leaned against a tree. The King sat on one knee to be at eye-height of the man.

"What is your name?" Leofrick asked him.

"Barnaby, your Majesty," the man said. Leofrick nodded.

"Barnaby, what is the news?" he asked the messenger. Barnaby tried to speak, but he still paused every now and then to take a deep breath.

"Your Majesty," the messenger began, "when I left… the castle… the Queen… gone into labor."

Leofrick nodded at the man, to know whether he could still move. "Thank you for sharing the news, Barnaby," he said and stood up. "I'll tell my guards to take care of you." He walked away from the messenger, who nodded thankfully. It was happening, he thought. Of all the days, it was happening today. His Queen was giving birth to the heir to his throne. He soon reached the guards and passed Martin, who was bringing water to Barnaby. The hunter called out for him, but Leofrick ignored him. It left Martin speechless, since the King never ignored him. It was not his intention, either. His wife was on his mind and time was of the essence.

He reached the group of soldiers, guards, men who pledged to protect the King with their lives. They jumped up when they saw their monarch approach them.

"Ademar, Norman, Geffrey, with me," Leofrick said. "The rest stays here with Martin." The fifteen other men looked at each other, confused, talking with each other, wondering what was going on. The three men Leofrick had chosen – the three knights the King trusted more than anyone else in the realm – followed him to the horses. He loosened the reins from his horse, Iantho, and climbed it. Norman and Geffrey followed his example. Ademar was more doubtful of the King's intentions.

"Your Majesty," he said, "What's going on?" The King may not had answered the question if it had been a younger man not to waste any time. But it wasn't a younger man, it was Ademar. A man he trusted with his life, one of the best guards (along with Norman and Geffrey) and the best men to accompany him.

"My wife is giving birth." That was all he said, all he needed to convince Ademar to climb his horse. Martin did approach them, but Leofrick didn't notice. He spurred the horse and rode ahead of the three guards, leaving the others behind.

They soon left the forest behind them and rode on the roads, through villages and fields, on their way to the castle, where Lavinia would be waiting for him. You see, Leofrick had promised to his wife that he'd be there when their first child is born. Now it's happening and he was hours away, he feared he could not live up to that promise. He knew he shouldn't have gone out hunting, but today was a perfect day to do so.

Before they realized it, they had passed one hour on the saddle. Norman rode a bit faster to catch up with Leofrick and Iantho. He spoke when they rode neck and neck.

"Your Majesty, we need to rest. The horses are tired and so are we." But the King shook his head.

"We must continue," he shouted, so Geffrey and Ademar could hear it, too. Eventually, he noticed Normal was no longer riding beside him, and another voice called out for him. He held his horse and turned his head. Norman, Geffrey and Ademar all had their horses stand still, while the King had galloped away from them with a considerable distance.

Leofrick sighed. Stubborn men, he thought. That's why he chose them to come with him. Other, younger knights would have obeyed him and would have kept on galloping with him. These men knew when it was time to stop, when it was time to tell their King to slow down. he turned Iantho around and let him walk to the three men.

The King dismounted from his horse and tied the reins to a nearby tree. "Her Majesty will be fine," Ademar said, trying to comfort him, "The best doctors in the country are with her as we speak. We don't have to stay long." Leofrick agreed with him and sat on the grass beside them. Only then he realized how much he needed this break. After an hour on the horse, numerous body parts were sore. He would definitely feel the pain tomorrow, but that did not matter now. He had to go to Lavinia. But for now, they rested.

They ended up sitting in the grass for longer than they thought they would. After the twenty minute break, they continued their journey. Instead of galloping, they let their horses trot, as not to deplete their energy too soon. Iantho definitely liked it more than galloping for an hour, but he seemed to go faster than the other three horses. Almost as if he knew Leofrick was in a big hurry and wanted to help him reach that goal by going slightly faster.

After three hours of trotting and some short breaks in between, they saw the castle rise up in the background. The closer they came, the bigger it grew. Before they knew it, the horses were galloping closer and closer. A loud bell rang through the castle, audible from the hundreds of meters they had to go there. The drawbridge was lowered just in time for the galloping horses. As soon as the men were inside on the courtyard, they held their horses and the drawbridge was lifted again.

The four men descended from their horses. Ademar, Norman and Geffrey brought their horses to the stable. Leofrick had not the intention to do so – he had to go straight to his wife. Fortunately, one of the stable boys had watched him enter the castle again. He led Iantho to this boy.

"Rickon," the King told the boy, "take Iantho to the stables. Please care for him." Rickon nodded, muttered a quick 'yes, your Majesty' and led the horse to the stable. The King turned around and entered the castle, going immediately to their private quarters.

As he was going there, he could already hear her screams from afar. This urged him to walk faster, be by her side faster. He knew where she would be giving birth – Lavinia barely left the room the past few weeks in anticipation of the child, only leaving it to join her husband in their bed.

The King opened the door to the room Lavinia had chosen to give birth in. He was at the right room – the screams were definitely coming from inside. He didn't hesitate. Leofrick opened the door and walked in, stopping for one brief moment to take in the scene.

They were all here: the doctor, some maids who helped him and his wife, Queen Lavinia. Her blonde hair was pushed back so it would not get in the way. Her beautiful eyes were now filled with pain and effort and there was sweat on her brow. Her legs were spread and the doctor looked between them, to free the child from his mother's womb. One of her hands crushed the wooden bed with her firm grip, the other was held by one of the maids.

Leofrick entered the room and changed positions with the maid holding her hand. The moment he had walked in, Lavinia smiled, even if she still suffered. She squeezed his hands.

"You came," she managed to say. Leofrick nodded.

"Of course I did," he said and they shared a quick kiss before he let her focus on putting their child on this world. She held his hand firmly, and he knew she wouldn't let go until their child was born. He didn't mind – he just wanted to be there for his wife.

"Push," the doctor said, "I think I can see the head." Lavinia, for once, did as she was told and pushed. She screamed out as she pushed, hoping it would help her give birth. Leofrick's hand got almost crushed, but he didn't mind. She pushed again, and again, and kept on screaming with each push until they could hear an as of yet unknown voice.

It was a young voice, the youngest voice in the room. It wasn't talking, but screaming. Screaming as it first touched the cold air, screamed as it first saw the light, cried as it was born. The queen panted in relief, happy the child was here, screaming and healthy. The King couldn't help but shed a tear, either.

One maid – he thought her name was Joan – took the child after the doctor had cut something. She brought it to the other side of the room, where she cleaned it.

"Push, your Majesty," the doctor said, "The baby is born, but not everything is out. Push." And the queen did as she was told. She did not see what else had to be pushed out, and she did not care either. The doctor cleaned up what else Lavinia had pushed out while Joan came with the child, wrapped up in a warm blanket, and handed it to the Queen.

Lavinia finally held her baby against her chest. It was still screaming, but a bit less loud than before. Leofrick caressed the child with one finger over his cheek. Lavinia couldn't help but smile. She unwrapped the blanket for a short time, but long enough for them to see what their child was.

"A princess," Lavinia said and Leofrick nodded. A princess. After so many months, they had a daughter. And a beautiful one, too. Their daughter, the princess, the future Queen of North Upswich. He grinned.

"Our Daisy," Leofrick said and Lavinia nodded. That's what they had agreed on: Daisy for their princess, Iantho for a boy.

They did not know how long they stayed in this position, but it was long enough to feed the child at least once and see her fall asleep. There were three knocks on the door before Ademar entered the room.

"Your Majesty?" he asked and the King nodded, giving him permission to enter.

"Ademar, you have great timing," Leofrick said, "Spread the word. Make sure everyone knows princess Daisy has been born." Ademar bowed and when he looked up, he smiled.

"I will, your Majesty," he said. he opened the door, ready to leave. Before he left, however, he turned to the King again.

"Congratulations, your Majesty." He closed the door as silently as he possibly could, as not to wake up the baby.

He spread the news, sending several messengers to the many lord and ladies North Upswich housed. When they heard the news, the notified the village near them and news always spread quickly when the civilians heard of it. No week later, everyone in North Upswich stopped their work for one day and used their time to celebrate the birth of princess Daisy.


	2. The question

**Hey everyone! Here's the second chapter of this story. (finally!) I have not seen the series finale, but I do know what happened, who put Daisy in her tower and why. And now I can clearly say this story is officially (partially) AU. As far as I'm concerned, the finale does not in any way affect this story.** **Anyway, here's the long-awaited chapter! Not as long as usual, but quality over quantity, am I right? But, before going there, ehre are my replies to your reviews:**

 _Boris Yeltsin:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like it._

 _LabRatsWhore:_ _He was? Well, that is interesting. That must be something, being at the other side of the ocean when your president was assassinated. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _CaptainMansBabyGirl:_ _Here's the next chapter._

 _BfwFiymTnsgirl:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I'm taking a big risk creating Daisy's "backstory", especially since I am now straying away from what the show made canon._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Well, even with the new information, what I'd originally planned won't really change what I had in mind. I'm just glad I can still tie it to the show without declaring this an AU, though it's not what I'm doing with this. Yeah, those are my favorites so I just couldn't resist setting a story in Medieval times._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Ever since that faithful night, six summers have passed. Even though it's been just six years, a lot has changed around the court. There were more patrols, and two guards to permanently guard the little princess wherever she'd go.

From the trio which protected the King on his journey home to see the birth of his little girl, only one remained at the castle. Geffrey had passed away two years ago, while exploring some of the outskirts of the country, on the border with South Upswich, and Norman had retired, having met a fine woman to spend the rest of his days with. Ademar still sometimes visited his old friends, in their house or grave, but he spent his days at the castle. As he too had grown six years older and couldn't be called fit to fight anymore, the King had been so kind to offer him the job of court advisor. His pastimes include reading books in his quarters and walking around the castle, enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Ademar!" A young voice shouted and the old man chuckled. Sometimes his walks weren't as quiet, but he didn't mind. He turned around, to face the one who had called out for him. A six-year-old girl with long brown hair wearing a light blue dress ran towards him. She almost stumbled over it, though it was made to fit her. Behind her, two guards armed with spears and swords alike were trying to keep up with her. She stopped running once she'd reached Ademar.

Ademar kneeled for his princess as soon as he had turned around. That way, they were at the same eye-height when talking to each other and she could already get accustomed to people kneeling for her.

"Yes, princess?" he asked her, "What is it?" Often, on the rare occasions that her mother had duties to fulfill, she would come to him for advice and for the questions she dared not ask her parents. He did believe she would only ask him the questions she had, and sometimes thought she never asked her parents about these matters.

"Why is mommy's tummy so big?" she asked him. Ademar couldn't help but stare at her, thinking of a way to explain her mother's pregnancy to her. He'd gotten used to it, for such questions were not uncommon. He did wonder why she waited so long to ask, since the doctors had already told the Queen she could give birth to her new child at any time.

She's carrying your younger brother or sister," he told her. At the innocent age of six, it was best not to tell her how this happened. Eventually, her mother would explain it to her.

Daisy frowned. "Why would she hide him?" she asked in return. Ademar laughed heartily – out of all interpretations, she picked the one where her mother was hiding him under her dresses. He continued to smile at her while giving her a proper answer.

"He will have to grow a little more," he said, "Though, I am certain you will meet him soon."

Daisy's face lit up. "Really?"

Ademar nodded. "Really."

The princess then embraced the kneeling man, as she always did after asking a question. "Thank you, Ademar," she said.

"You're welcome," he replied, briefly placing hand on her back before pulling it back again. At that moment, she let go of him. After so long, she'd learned he didn't want to be hugged for so long. The real reason behind this lie was that she'd have to learn not to embrace everyone she held dear so publicly. But for now, that brief embrace was allowed.

Daisy walked away from him, – her nanny probably was already waiting for her to return. Escorted by the two guards, she walked back to her room and once she'd turned around the corner, Ademar got back up. He finished his walk, eventually walking back to his chambers.

On his way to his chambers, he first had to pass the royal chambers. His chambers weren't adjacent to those, but they were still located quite closed to each other. As soon as he had walked past the door, he heard a loud scream coming out of it. It was a woman, he realized. No, not just any woman. It was the Queen.

Despite those loud shrieks, he had to smile. Daisy would meet her little brother or sister sooner than she had expected.

* * *

A few hours before sunrise, the screams had died down. despite the loud noise, Ademar did manage to get some sleep during the night, though he didn't feel very well-rested when he woke up. Once he woke up, he dressed himself and went straight to the royal chambers. He wanted to congratulate them personally.

Though, once he arrived there, he learned the Queen didn't want to be disturbed and that the King was in his working chamber. Ademar frowned and with a bad feeling, he then walked to the King's working chambers. He briefly knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Leofrick asked from the other side.

"Ademar, your highness."

"Come in," the King replied and Ademar pushed the door open. Immediately, he noticed the darkness of the room. The curtains were not opened yet and only ashes remained in the fireplace after this long night. The only source of light was a candle, standing on the King's desk. In the glow of said candle, Ademar noticed a sad expression on his master's face. he already feared the worst.

"Are you alright, your highness?" Ademar asked him, closing the door behind to enjoy the privacy. King Leofrick lifted his head, so he could look at his advisor. His swollen red eyes did not go unnoticed and even before he spoke, Ademar knew what had happened tonight.

"Deceased," Leofrick said, "he never breathed."

Ademar bowed his head in respect. "My sincere condolences," he said, "I am sorry the pregnancy had to end this way. How is the Queen?" He had a good reason to worry about her. It was not uncommon for queens (and women in general) to die giving birth to kids or to die trying.

"Alive," Ademar sighed in relief – from experience, he knew a man can lose all of his strength when the Lord took his family away from him, even if it was just one relative. "A next attempt may be fatal," the King continued. There hung a silence in the room, one neither of them dared to break for a little while. The King walked to the window, but he did not push the curtains open. He bowed his head again.

"I will never have a son," Leofrick said, "so the Grundenwald line ends here."

Ademar boldly took a step in the King's direction – though he was mourning, the King needed all the support he could get. "Your highness," he carefully began, "Whether your line ends here or not, you will still have Daisy."

For some excruciatingly long moments, nothing happened. Then, at long last, Leofrick nodded. "True," he said, "We have Daisy. Someday, she will be a great queen. The last Grundenwald on the throne."

Ademar nodded. "Indeed," he said, "Perhaps the Lord wants Daisy to become the Queen. Perhaps He didn't think a son would be fit to lead the people for the years to come."

Leofrick sighed, turning his head to Ademar again. "Then why would he torment us with a failed pregnancy?"

"I don't know," Ademar said – he did not know the ways of the Lord, nor his will, "but let's treasure what we have. We have Daisy."

Leofrick nodded, agreeing with Ademar. The next order was to claim Lavinia's pregnancy was just a wild rumor going around. Both Lavinia and Leofrick didn't want the people to know they lost a young prince from the moment of his birth. The boy, whom they had named Rowan, did get a formal burial. And, as Ademar predicted, Daisy indeed got to meet her little brother, though not in the circumstances he'd hoped this meeting would be.

From that moment forward, Daisy was the crown princess of North Upswich, and so wanted by many other royal houses around the continent.


	3. The visit

**I know, it's been a while again. Work just piled up, exams happened, but I have free time now. I swear, updates will be much quicker from now on (so, no more month-long hiatuses). That's a promise I hope to keep. If you're still reading this... well, thanks for being so patient with me. Also, I don't like abandoned stories, so if I don't update for months on end again, one day I will update. Before you can read the next chapter, here are my responses to your reviews.**

 _LabRatsWhore:_ _Thanks for reviewing! I know - I just needed a reason for Daisy to not have siblings (killing potential siblings was out of the question for me) and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. And yes, I imagine he cares about his honor that way._

 _Guest:_ _I'm glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _CrazyHayniac:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Nobody else was doing it, so why not? There's so much you can do with her character before she went through the time rift. I'm glad you liked it, and I think you're going to like where this might go._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _As far as we know, Daisy's an only child, so I wanted to keep it that way - but the parents probably would try to get a son, too. Ademar's going to be loyal till the end. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Anonymous Girl Gamer:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

One faithful day, one year after the tragedy of losing their child, the mood in the castle was different than before. Daisy, seven years old now, was getting older and soon, her education would start. But before that could happen, they first had to go through this.

Daisy was old enough to realize someone was visiting. The maids were scurrying to make the place as clean as they possibly could while the cooks were hurrying to get the food ready. She had learned to treat all visitors with all the respect she could find. Yet, today it was a different guest. Why else would they be doing their best more than when a duke would come to visit?

"Who is coming to visit?" she asked the maid, Helga, when the two of them were in her chambers, preparing her for the occasion.

"A queen is coming to the court," Helga told her. If you asked Daisy, she would say Helga was the sweetest person she has ever met (excluding her parents and Ademar, that is)

Daisy gasped. "A queen?" But her mother was the queen! How could there be another queen.

"Your father has a sister," Helga said, "She married to the King of South Upswich. She's coming for a visit."

Daisy was rendered speechless for the first time in her life. Once she was readied, there was nothing she could talk about except that the queen was coming and that she was so thrilled to meet her. Ademar told her once that she had come over once, but she had been too small to remember it. This only excited her more, especially when she learned she was allowed to be in the throne room when they arrived.

And then, the time came for Daisy to meet her aunt. She had to stand next to her mother's seat, hands behind her back, wearing a new dress. Her parents looked very royal, she thought. Ademar stood to the side, to the wall. He had told her not to move too much, and so she did. Well, she tried.

The big double doors opened. Daisy counted there were at least five people. There were only two people that caught her eyes. One of them was the Queen. She wore a beautiful dark blue dress that fit her perfectly and her smile was just as beautiful. Even with the knowledge she had, she thought it was strange how much she looked like her father.

The other person was a young man, just a child. With just once glance, Daisy knew that she did not like him. He looked so arrogant, as if he were better than anyone around him. He was even dressed like that. It was hard to ignore him, and she tried her hardest not to say bad things about him.

"Lavinia. Leofrick," the queen said, "It is a pleasure to see you again."

Leofrick started to smile. He and Lavinia stood up from their thrones.

"Likewise," Leofrick said, "welcome to Seanton castle, Cordelia." Cordelia Grundenwald was as a young woman who since the age of seventeen was engaged to prince Reginald Hagen from South Upswich. When she turned eighteen, she married him, taking the Hagen name. Two years later, she gave birth to a son.

Leofrick turned to the boy. "And what is your name?"

"Prince Gilles Hagen," the little prince said. Even his tone was arrogant. Again, Daisy tried not to say anything.

"My husband insisted he'd come with me. To meet Daisy." There were some worrisome undertones in her voice. Daisy had no idea what to think about it, but it worried her. what mother would talk about her own child like that? She never heard her own mother talk with such a tone.

"How nice," her father answered. "Ademar, can you show Gilles-"

" _Prince_ Gilles," the boy interrupted him. He was met with a glare from his mother and uneasy looks from everyone else. The King also looked at him, but did not call him out on it. he turned to Ademar again.

"Please show Gilles the castle. You can take Daisy with you."

Daisy grimaced when she heard her own name and had to spend time with that arrogant child. Ademar nodded respectfully at him.

"Yes, your Majesty." He said, and Daisy walked to him immediately. Gilles did not immediately respond, and only when Cordelia told him to go with Ademar did he walk up to them. The tour was boring, and went by way too slowly for Daisy. Gilles himself did not pay attention to his surroundings or Ademar's explanations. He paid much more attention to Daisy, however, taking any chance to look at her and smile. He may be thinking he was charming her, but Daisy was feeling uncomfortable and thought it was creepy. Ademar noticed, and he tried to make sure Gilles' attention went to the castle instead of its youngest inhabitant. It helped, though only a little.

Needless to say, Daisy hoped this was the only time Gilles would appear in her life. She hoped he would lose interest in her, too, and hoped that people like Ademar would keep them apart.

* * *

After trotting for half an hour, the King and visiting Queen went a bit slower. They ordered the guards to remain there while they themselves went deeper into the meadow. They could have their privacy while the guards could still watch over them.

The small descent excited the horse, who hadn't been outside for quite some time now. Leofrick noticed this and calmed him down.

"Easy, Iantho," he said, patting his neck. This effectively calmed him down. Cordelia's horse needed no such treatment. Once Leofrick looked up her again, he saw her looking at him disappointingly.

"Could you not have picked a better name for him than our brother's?"

The King smiled and shook his head, sorrow in his eyes. "He always preferred the company of horses above men. What better way to honor him than name my horse after him?" he remembered it clearly, the day their older brother died. If he hadn't insisted on visiting Seanton without guards, those raiders wouldn't have robbed and killed him. A tragic accident, yes, and the reason why Leofrick became the King of North Upswich.

He turned his head to Cordelia. Her watery eyes confirmed she too thought about their brother. "But we did not come up here to discuss our horses' names," he said, aspiring to learn why Cordelia wanted them to go ride through the fields of Seanton.

"It is about my family," Cordelia said. This prompted Leofrick to consider some things that may have been happening to her. the sad look in her eyes may confirm this, if she did not have Iantho Grundenwald on her mind.

"Does Reginald still treat you right?" he asked her. A smile appeared on her face.

"He does," she said, soothing Leofrick, "I have everything I could ever wish for. Yet, I yearn to live here again. Once a Northerner, always a Northerner." She took a moment to look at the fields of her home, the same fields she looked over when she was young and careless and unafraid. When she was done, she turned her head to him.

"Leo, my husband has been thinking about the future of our son," she told him and Leofrick nodded. He had reached a certain age. He probably had been having some training as well, with all sorts of weapons, but now he has reached an age that prompted them to think about something else entirely.

"About a bride," Leofrick said. Cordelia nodded.

"Naturally," she said.

"And he has picked Daisy, am I correct?" Leofrick wondered out loud. He looked at his sister, and her nodding confirmed his suspicions.

"She is one of his preferred choices, yes."

Leofrick sighed. He had been dreading this day since his daughter was born. The day that someone, not particularly Gilles Hagen, would be presented as a suitor.

"What does he want?"

"He dreams of a united Upswich with the houses of Grundenwald and Hagen ruling together," Cordelia explained.

"And he sent you to bring me the news," Leofrick guessed. He looked aside and saw Cordelia shake her head.

"No," she said, "I suggested to come over and tell you. It was his idea to take my son with me so he and Daisy could meet each other." There was a long silence, in which neither spoke. Leofrick waited for Cordelia to speak; he believed she wasn't finished yet, and he was right again.

"Leo, I do not approve of this betrothal."

"You do not?" he asked her with risen eyebrows.

"No," Cordelia said, shaking her head "I do not want Gilles to marry Daisy."

"For his sake?" he asked her. Again, she shook her head.

"For Daisy's," she responded. "Since his birth, I have noticed he has more of his father's traits than mine. Of course, he has my face and hair, but every day, I feel like I'm losing him a bit more. Every day, he looks more like Reginald. He is already learning how to wield a weapon."

"You're afraid he's turning into a monster," Leofrick said.

"He cannot marry Daisy," she said, confirming what Leofrick thought to be true. "I do not want my nice to have to live with a husband like that."

"He will not," Leofrick said, "I swear to you, Cordelia, as long as I am alive, Daisy will not marry Gilles. And if I do die, I will put her in the care of a man who will keep her away from him."

Cordelia smiled at him. "Thank you, Leo. I will not ask any more from you."

"You can always ask me anything," the King of North Upswich said. "That's what family is for."

Cordelia nodded at him, then looked over her shoulder. "We probably should go back," she said. This prompted Leofrick to look over his shoulder as well. The guards who came along on their trip and who were still waiting at a distance, were starting to become restless.

Leofrick nodded and together, they lead their horses back to the guards, so they could ride back to the castle, back home. Tonight there would still be a feast, but then Cordelia would be travelling back home to North Upswich with Gilles.

The King made the decision what he thought was the best for his daughter. He only did not know what long-term consequences would be connected to this particular decision.


	4. The feast

**Okay, I'm back with the next chapter! See, told you it wouldn't take me a month this time. Gilles is showing up again, so I hope it'll be enjoyable despite his presence here. Either way, here are my replies to your reviews and then the chapter:**

 _LabRatsWhore:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Good luck with college. I know how stressful it can be, as I somehow survived one year already. Either way, I hope it won't be too stressful for you._

 _CrazyHayni_ _ac:_ _Well, Cordelia cares for her niece and if she's right (you'll never know) Gilles probably will be the worst king that's ever lived. But that's just a detail. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Gilles isn't meant to be much different from Sebastian, but we'll see who's the "better" one of the two later. Even when Sebastian probably won't physically show up. Since this is just a backstory leading up to her ending up in the tower and going to our present, so anything that happens after that is still pretty much canon (but with a twist)._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The second time the Hagen family came to Seanton castle for a visit, Daisy had just celebrated her tenth birthday. The leaves had almost all fallen off the trees and it was starting to get colder and wetter in this region. But today, it was still nice to walk around with good temperatures. Daisy had gone out in an old dress that was allowed to become dirty and a jacket, so she could play without making her parents angry again. The last time she'd gone out, she was wearing a new dress and she fell into the mud with it, making her parents mad at her.

She started by playing with the leaves on the ground in the royal garden, kicking them and throwing them into the air, arranging them in different patterns. It didn't take long for some older stable boys to join her with her games. They played tag and hide-and-seek, all while the guards were watching their every move, ready to strike should one of them want to harm the princess.

"Daisy!" she turned her head. Her nanny, Lucinda, stood near the door and was drawing her attention this way. "Come here, please!" She turned her back to her and told the boys she had to go. They were bummed out by this turn of events but continued their games without her nonetheless. She ran over to her nanny, going as fast as she thought was safe in that dress. Soon, she stood next to Lucinda, turning around one last time to wave

"Yes, Lucinda?" she eventually said, wondering why her nanny had called her while she was playing. The two of them walked through the door, back inside.

"Your mother told me you had to look impeccable," Lucinda said. From this, Daisy knew she would be occupied for the next two hours. She had learned to associate the word 'impeccable' with being dressed up, applying the right makeup and in general getting ready for a special public occasion.

"What's the occasion?" Daisy asked her. "Is it a ball?" She had grown quite fond of this particular activity, even if it didn't occur as frequently as she wished.

"Your father is organizing a feast tonight," Lucinda told her, "King Reginald from South Upswich and his son are coming over." Daisy almost stopped in her tracks, but followed Lucinda to her chambers and managed to cover her slight stumble. It has been three years, but she still remembered the names. All she could think about was that Gilles would be returning.

A horrified look appeared on her face. She didn't want the prince to come here. The last time they spoke, she did not like it. He kept making rude comments and weird gestures. If he was going to behave like that again this evening, she did not want him to visit her ever again.

But maybe he's changed. It is possible, as a lot can happen in three years. Maybe he'd grown up. Even if she did not count on this, she could always hope his manners had changed for the better and that his mother or someone else taught him how to properly behave.

She looked at Lucinda and was glad to find out her nanny hadn't seen her stumble or that look on her face. She quickly shook off the uneasy feeling she got when thinking about Gilles and with the most neutral face, she continued to walk to her chambers with Lucinda.

* * *

The guests had arrived right on time for the feast. In the largest dining hall, servants had placed extra tables for all the personnel and people from Seanton that wanted to attend. These tables stood perpendicular to the table where the royal family would be seated, in a way that they could look at everyone who came.

There were already quite a lot of people present, and soon the feast began. All seats were taken and everyone was in a good mood. Maids were rushing from table to table to pour in more wine and get the food to the right tables. They were loud, but not really that much of a nuisance.

At the main table, things were going in a more civil manner. King Leofrick was sitting at the head of the table, wearing the impressive crown of South Upswich on his head. Next to him, on his left, sat King Reginald. He seemed to be enjoying himself, talking to his brother-in-law about things Daisy couldn't quite understand – this was the only occasion Daisy wished the sound didn't drown out what her father was telling her uncle. On Leofrick's other side sat Lavinia, who was listening to the two men talk. On her right were two spots left, and those were occupied by Daisy and Gilles. Cordelia hadn't come, for some reason. Daisy didn't know why.

At first, she wasn't too pleased with Gilles sitting right next to her, but she could at least live with it. She noticed how much Reginald and Gilles were similar, yet there were key differences. Even though he clearly was Reginald's son, he had blond hair, like his mother's, and more of her features than his father's. His hair was slicked back behind his neck and his smile wasn't as repulsive as the last time they spoke. He'd also grown quite a bit, now being at least a foot taller than her.

Other than that, she was surprised to learn he was acting in a civil manner this time. He actually is well-mannered, she thought. During the feast, in between bites and drinks, they talked. So far, he hadn't made any comments about her appearance. All they talked about was the shared burden they shared, about royalty, about their respective lives and the duty they had to fulfill when they were older. They also shared jokes. He didn't have to fake his laughs.

"Where's aunt Cordelia?" Daisy asked him once she found the courage to ask about his mother. The grin promptly disappeared from his face, and he put down his fork and knife. He took a deep breath.

"she, er… she passed away," he said, not looking at her. Daisy gasped in horror.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, "I didn't know –"

"It's okay," Gilles said as he placed a hand on the one Daisy had placed on the table. "She wasn't doing well the last few months. She was really ill. I'm just glad she's not suffering anymore now."

Daisy nodded at him and a shiver went down her spine when he touched that hand. She stopped listening and slowly pulled her hand away from him. for just a moment, his facial expression changed – or, as she'd describe it later, a crack appeared in the mask. It lasted for only a moment, after which he was again his charming self, the person she's been exposed to the entire evening.

Everything he'd said this evening was taken back. Every positive thought she had of him was nullified with that one action. She knew now. He hadn't necessarily been lying but had been deceptive nonetheless. What man, no matter the age, would construct a different person? His goals probably hadn't changed, either. He still wanted her, or else he wouldn't have made that move.

She could easily see through his façade now and stopped all attempts to a proper conversation. He did not seem pleased with this but did not speak with her anymore. They spend the remainder of the evening in silence.

* * *

After the feast, Daisy was led back to her chambers by two guards and a maiden. The guards waited at her door, while the maiden walked with her inside her chambers. She helped the little princess to undress and to get her ready for bed. When she had just put on her nightgown, they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," the maid said. the door opened, revealing her father. He had taken off his crown and had a smile on his face.

"Could you leave us alone?" The King asked, and the maid nodded. At once, she left the room, closing the door behind her. Father and daughter watched her leave before saying another word and turning to each other.

"Did you like the feast?" he asked her. He often visited his daughter after events like these, to figure out what his daughter liked the most and how he could improve these events for her, while also teaching her how to behave in public.

Daisy nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I loved it!" she exclaimed. It truly was an enjoyable evening and there was nothing she hated about it. She did, however, have a problem with one of the attendees.

"But…" she said, "Gilles was…" She was unsure how to continue.

Leofrick frowned and knelt in front of her. "Was he being rude to you?" he asked her, with great concern in his voice. Daisy quickly shook her head.

"No, but he…" She trailed off again. She barely knew how to describe how Gilles' behavior repulsed her. He wasn't rude, but he must have suppressed it this time. He feigned a charming nature, which she did not like. He had deceived her the entire time to get closer to her, so she would more likely say 'yes' to any request. He was all of that, yet he also wasn't rude to her. She thought it was hard to explain. Luckily for her, Leofrick noticed it.

"You don't have to explain it," he said and she sighed. He may not fully understand what Daisy meant to say, but if Daisy said she did not like him and was doing some things she couldn't explain, he believed her, no matter what he said or tried to do.

"Do I ever have to see him again?" she asked him. For one brief moment, Leofrick hesitated. Then, he sighed.

"I'm not sure," he told her, "But I will make sure you will never need to live with him. Is that good for you?"

Daisy nodded in response. Leofrick smiled. "Now, off to bed," he said. Daisy ran to the bed and climbed into it. Leofrick approached it at a slower pace and tucked her in when she laid down. he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, father," she said.

"Goodnight, Daisy," he responded. He walked off and with one last glance at his daughter, he closed the door behind him. The next morning, Daisy did not come downstairs to say goodbye to the Hagen family, instead preferring to stay in her room and watch them leave from there.


	5. The hunt

**Hello, everyone. Here's the next chapter already. It's a bit shorter than usual, but oh well. Anyway, this is about the midway point of the story. This story will have nine chapters, so after this one there's still four to look forward to. Anyway, here are my responses to your reviews before this chapter:**

 _CrazyHayniac: Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, Gilles is a pathetic little shit who'd use about anything to get what he wants, even his mom's dad. I'm sorry for your friend's loss. And she does? Thank goodness. I thought she'd be a bit OOC because I haven't seen the show in a while. _

_PurpleNicole531:_ _Indeed. Cordelia, unfortunately, had to die. I need Gilles to go in a certain direction and he couldn't as long as his mother was around. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

On the first day of spring, the King and Queen of North Upswich go out hunting. It was a tradition, after all, and one they liked to honor. It reached back as far as the beginning of the Grundenwald bloodline. Lavinia and Leofrick also considered hunting as something they wanted to do more often than they could. It provided a piece of adventure in their lives where there otherwise wouldn't be. They made efforts to go out and do this more often, but they both had duties to attend to. But the first day of spring, every first day of spring, they did not plan to do anything but to go out and hunt.

Daisy had grown up knowing her parents would be gone for a day and then return. Every time, she wished them good luck and wondered what they would bring home with them. They always told her stories from the hunt. But the twelve-year-old had other plans today than to watch them leave from her window.

When the sun rose, the servants had already readied everything for the hunt. The King and Queen came out of the stables, with their horses. They mounted their horses, as did the twelve guards that would come with them. They would bring a cart along, in which the crossbows lay and enough room for the game they would shoot that day.

When the head of the party wanted to blow the horn and let the entire castle know they were leaving, a little girl ran into the courtyard. She was still wearing her nightgown and not much else to protect her from the cold morning wind.

"Daisy?" Lavinia said once she saw her daughter approach. She immediately got off the horse, effectively putting the whole procession to a stop. Leofrick watched them closely, but he did not descend from Iantho. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to go with you," the twelve-year-old said, "I want to hunt." She sounded determined and folded her arms, looking at her mother. The Queen turned her head to Leofrick, unsure how to react to this. He didn't help, as an amused smile appeared on his face. She then turned to her daughter again.

"Daisy…"

"The next time," Leofrick said. his family looked at him. "The next time we go hunting, you can come with us."

Daisy nodded but was disappointed by the answer. She'd wanted to hunt today, not the next time. She pouted at them.

Ademar walked into view. He placed a hand on her shoulder, possibly to draw her attention so they could go back inside, between the warm walls. Leofrick turned his head to his friend.

"Ademar will teach you," the King said. Ademar rose an eyebrow. The King nodded once. "Starting tomorrow, you will teach her the basics." Ademar nodded in response. He knew Leofrick said it now, so openly, so Daisy would hear it and cheer up. It had the wished effect since a smile appeared on her face as soon as she heard this. the King had intended for Daisy to learn about the hunt one day, should she be interested, anyway.

The Queen hugged Daisy one last time and then mounted back on her horse.

"Take care," the King said. He flashed a smile in their direction.

"Goodbye, father," Daisy said. Leofrick glanced at her one last time before, finally, they heard the horn. The procession took off, the King and Queen in the middle and the cart at the end of it.

Daisy waved at them, but they were unable to see it, as they now had turned their backs on her, following the road to the hunting ground. Daisy only lowered her hand when they were completely out of sight.

Ademar patted her shoulder. "Let's go inside," he said. The first day of spring was still rather cold and now the hunt didn't distract her anymore, she could finally feel the full extent of the cold wind blowing in her face. She followed him back inside and wished they would be back soon with the big game they would shoot.

* * *

They would always come back in the evening. The King and Queen would ride in the front, side by side, closely followed by the guards and then the cart, carrying the game they had hunted and killed that day. They would ride slowly but steadily and once they came into view, Daisy would always await them in the courtyard. Her father would tell her about every animal and how much of a fight they had put up, while her mother couldn't wait to eat dinner.

Daisy knew something was wrong when a single soldier returned on horse-back, galloping towards the gate. The princess frowned. She decided to stay in her room and wait. Though soon, bad thoughts slipped into her mind. _They should be back. It's evening, by now they should have returned. What if something happened to them? what if they are lost? Or injured?_

 _They're okay,_ the more positive part of her mind said. _Do not worry so much. They will be back. They're only delayed._

But Daisy waited patiently. She did not leave her room and watched outside the window, debating in her mind whether or not her parents were fine, providing arguments for both sides. Right when she couldn't stand the waiting anymore and the sun had almost fully set, she got her answers.

There was a knock on her door. She recognized her guest by the way he knocked on it.

"Come in," she said and Ademar entered her room. His face was solemn and he did not look her in the eyes, as he normally would do. Her hopeful mood dropped the second he walked in.

"Would you take a seat, please?" He asked her. His voice almost cracked.

"You're scaring me," she said. She sat down on her bed nonetheless. He didn't sit down, even though there was a chair near the bed. He glanced at it, but otherwise completely ignored it. again, negative thoughts started to pile up in her mind.

"Daisy, I…" he tried to speak, but the words didn't come out of his mouth. He briefly looked at the ground and then finally looked her in the eyes. There was a sadness she couldn't place. She also noticed he wasn't smiling. He always smiled at her. There had only been three occasions in which he didn't smile at her.

"What happened?" she asked, knowing something was up.

"A boar attacked. They couldn't…" he trailed off. Again, he took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry."

Daisy didn't know what to think. Her eyes filled with tears and before she knew it, she was crying. Ademar stepped closer and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She then got up and started hugging him, looking for comfort during these dark days. He hugged her back, not saying a word. He didn't try to sugarcoat it, he didn't speak.

She just lost her parents, while he lost two of his dearest and oldest friends. Together, they mourned in silence.


	6. The funeral

**Hey, guys. I'm back with the newest chapter of this story - and so, we're already two-thirds into the story. There'll be some mentions of Sebastian, and I've decided he's not going to appear at all (since he and Daisy never canonically met before she went to the future. Either way, here are my responses to your reviews and after that, the chapter:**

 _OddDangerSpiritualCyberLover17:_ _Thanks for reviewing._

 _CrazyHayniac:_ _Well, canon says they died, so they had to die. Better now than later. She fortunately still has Ademar, Lucinda and everyone else. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, it was bound to happen. And since we're technically in the second half of the story already, it's not too soon. Yes, luckily she still has Ademar. But there are three more chapters to look forward to._

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

The next day, the news of their deaths was spread throughout the country. Ademar was given Leofrick's last will, written down by the resident judge of Seanton Castle. The only reason Daisy didn't receive that will, was because Ademar was clearly stated as the successor. Leofrick wanted Ademar to act as the steward of North-Upswich until Daisy was old enough to rule the country herself, or until Ademar died. Soon after reading the will, he was sworn in as the steward of the country. There was one requirement: Daisy had to be present at all council meetings, to learn about it first-hand.

That day was also the day the late Leofrick and Lavinia returned home. It was the first day of many that Daisy wore black clothes. She refused to see them. She did not want to see them like that, just as she wished not to ruin the memories she had of them by seeing them dead. At first, she also did not want to attend the funeral for the same reasons she did not want to see the bodies. Ademar persuaded her to attend it to pay her respects one last time. To mourn. To show the people she could still go out, that life continued, that she was a strong girl and would one day be a strong woman, a Queen fit to rule North-Upswich.

On the day of the funeral, the streets of Seanton were filled to the brink with people. The news of their deaths had spread through the kingdom and many people, who were doing considerably better during their rule, wanted to pay their last respects. The funeral couldn't be attended by the common folk, but they did gather in the streets of the city closest to the castle and lit candles to show their solidarity and mourning.

The funeral could only be attended by royals from all of Europe and close relatives of the Grundenwald family. There was from each country at least one royal. For most countries, it was a prince or duke. King Reginald from South-Upswich decided to show up himself. He had decided to leave Gilles at home, which pleased Daisy. For the last time that week, she'd be wearing a black dress.

The funeral itself was a short service. Nothing much of importance happened. Some people spoke their last wishes. Daisy sat in silence, trying to fight back the tears. She was already glad she didn't have to sit there for too long.

After the funeral, the attendees talked to one another, some approaching to personally tell her how sorry they were that Leofrick and Lavinia died. She didn't have to talk to them too much, since Ademar was standing next to her, trying to guide her through the event. Three of them already came by before Reginald approached them.

"I know how it feels to lose someone you love," the king said solemnly, "My sincere condolences."

Daisy nodded in response. She could see the pain in his eyes, and they both thought about the same woman: Cordelia.

"Thank you," she said, and she couldn't help but compare Cordelia's death with her parents'. She knew Cordelia died peacefully in her bed. Why did she deserve to die like that while her parents were violently murdered by an abomination of nature? But she pushed that thought aside. It was selfish to think like that. She should be grateful her parents weren't hurting. Cordelia suffered long before she died. Her parents, for all she knew, died quickly.

"Steward," Reginald then said, looking away from the princess and looking at Ademar.

"Your majesty," Ademar nodded.

"Can I speak to you in private?" the King asked.

"Of course," Ademar said, and he took the monarch ten yards away from Daisy before they discussed the private matter. While they were talking, Daisy tried to hear what they were saying, though she didn't move an inch. She noticed a prince from a country in Middle Europe tried to talk to her, but she didn't pay much attention to him. After two attempts at conversation, he decided to stop trying and walked away.

The conversation between the men did not last too long. Once it was over, Reginald shook Ademar's hand and walked away, to talk to some other guests. Ademar returned to Daisy. He looked exhausted.

"What did you discuss?" Daisy asked him.

Ademar hesitated, but he decided to tell her anyway. "He wanted to discuss a marriage arrangement between you and Gilles."

She felt the disgust rise within her and almost gagged. "I am not marrying him," she immediately said.

"Of course you're not," Ademar said. This reassured her and she breathed in relief. "I told him you were already engaged."

Daisy frowned. She knew what being engaged meant, and she was certain she wasn't engaged. "But I am not…" she paused, looking at Ademar. He stared at her, but she could see he was hiding something. Or rather, that he was not telling her something.

"Ademar?" she said, unsure, partially pleading him to tell her what he was withholding from her.

"Not yet," he answered, and that was all she needed to know. But Ademar continued: "I knew your uncle would ask. I told him you were engaged to a knight since your eighth birthday."

She could've been content. Not yet, that was all she had to hear to be happy and not to think about it too much. But Ademar's extended answer made her doubt him a bit more.

"Am I going to marry a knight?" she wondered out loud. He opened his mouth to answer, but he closed it again. For a while, he thought about a proper answer. He sighed.

"Probably." The steward turned his head and knelt in front of her, so he would be at her eye-level with her. She looked at him, disturbed. This was exactly what he had been trying to prevent. "Daisy, this isn't something that will hurt you. Getting engaged to a knight… Gilles won't be able to touch you. You'll be safe, it'll shield you from him. He can't touch you."

Daisy didn't know what to think about it. she was glad to know there was a way to keep Gilles away from her. Her disgust of him had grown over the years, and now she could say she hated him like she never hated anyone before. On the other hand, she did not know anything about actually being engaged, including how to feel about it. Especially since it would be an engagement with someone she didn't even know.

"What is his name?" Daisy asked, assuming Ademar had already picked her husband for her while, in fact, he only had been looking to find the most suitable candidate.

"Sebastian is the main candidate," he answered, "There are more boys, but I think he will be the best man for you. He is about your age and is already extremely skilled with the sword. He will be more than capable of protecting you, even from Gilles if necessary." The princess did not respond. Ademar sighed again.

"I am not doing this to harm you," the former advisor repeated, "I'm doing this only to protect you. Do you understand."

At first, there was no reaction. After a while, Daisy nodded.

"Yes," she said. She looked up at Ademar, and he noticed she was almost crying. "But don't ever decide something like that again without consulting me."

"I wasn't going to," Ademar said, a small smile briefly appearing on his face. "Let's go home." He understood the emotion of today, with the burial of her parents and the news that she will marry a knight named Sebastian when she was older. He guided her away from the event and, after one last glance behind her, they traveled back to Seanton Castle.


	7. The archer

**Y'all ready for the finale? It's not the final chapter, but this was the chapter I've been looking forward to since I started writing this story. So, yeah, I hope you like this chapter. But first, here are my responses to you:**

 _OddDangerSpiritualCyberLover17:_ _Thanks for reviewing._

 _CrazyHayniac: __Well, it's either Gilles or Sebastian (considering he's a bit younger now and not as big a jerk as he was when Cyd and Shelby met him) Any other, possibly older knight or lord was out of the question for me. Yeah, Daisy's not stupid - plus, she's got to learn how to be a queen somehow, and Ademar and Daisy kind of working together is a good way for her to do so. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _ItsMeVader:_ _Thanks for reviewing! And don't worry, I've got the situation under control._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _He sure does. He'd be a good dad if he decided to get children or a wife. At this point in time, Sebastian's just your average thirteen-year-old prodigy in sword-fighting and considerably less of a jerk. But don't worry, he'll get there someday. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

It snowed when the men from South Upswich visited. There were thirty guards coming with an advisor, sent by King Reginald. He was too busy trying to keep his country's economy from collapsing to come himself, so he sent his most trusted advisor. The Spanish were starting to look like a threat to most of Europe and even though both countries were micro-states within England, the country with the biggest fleet of the world, they wanted to discuss possibly uniting their military forces in case of an invasion.

So, Ademar and the advisor discussed strategies the next day. Daisy was supposed to be here, too, but she was feeling ill. The doctor told her it was only a fever, but she had to stay in bed for the rest of the week. That night, they ended the discussions on a positive note and feasted in the great hall.

The next morning, Lucinda walked into the kitchen at six. As well as being Daisy's nanny and her official caretaker, she sometimes helped the kitchen personnel whenever she could, especially in the winter. That morning, she had to do the job nobody liked to do: prepare the kitchen for the next day. Get all the materials ready, prepare the dough, check the fruit to see whether it was rotten. The rest of the kitchen staff would come around seven, so everything would be ready for breakfast at nine.

The heavy door fell closed, and she turned around in surprise. A man she didn't recognize had walked into the room. He was wearing his armor with the South Upswich's crest on his chest. She breathed out. _Just one of the guests,_ she thought.

"Did I scare you?" the knight said with his southern accent. Lucinda shook her head.

"No, not at all," she said, "I'm sorry, sir, but you shouldn't be here."

"I know," he said, flashing a charming smile in her direction. "But I can't sleep and I was hoping to get something small to eat."

Lucinda sighed. She's seen that smile before. "If you are hungry, I suggest you wait a couple more hours. Breakfast will be served at nine." She spoke with an annoyed tone in her voice. This request came in at least once a day, and half of the men requesting a snack had shown her a similar smile. She was expecting a reaction, the question to be the exception, to get at least one apple.

He didn't do any of those things. The knight stood down and nodded.

"I will," he said. He did not make any attempts of leaving the kitchen, though, looking around. He did let Lucinda do her job.

"You are the princess's caretaker, yes?" Lucinda lifted her head and looked at him. He seemed genuinely interested in her main job. She didn't want to answer him at first, but it was a welcome distraction from the work she had to do at that hour.

She smiled. "I do my best," she responded. Of course, she couldn't replace Leofrick and Lavinia, but she could take care of the child with the best of her abilities. She took care of the girl as if she were her mother.

The man nodded. She turned her back on him for a brief moment, to go back to kneading the dough for the bread.

"Miss?" He demanded her attention again. Lucinda turned to the man again, to tell him to leave and let her do her job. The knight pressed a knife against her throat, his friendly demeanor completely gone. A malicious grin appeared on his face.

"I suggest you do as I say if you want to live."

* * *

Daisy couldn't sleep. She had trouble falling asleep. Sometimes, the pain woke her up. at other times she would throw off her blankets because she was feeling hot only to pull them back when she was feeling cold. She may have slept a bit during the night, but it could never have been more than half an hour at a time. Sometimes she would look at the fireplace, the only indication of time passing in her room – the clock in her room was broken –, to try and figure out how long she had been awake.

It was still dark outside when the door creaked. Daisy, who was close to falling asleep, turned to the door. _Why would you creak?_ She thought. She briefly opened her eyes when the door creaked again. A figure closed the door and walked closer to Daisy. The princess recognized her in the faint light of the fireplace.

"Lucinda?" Her voice sounded hoarse. Her nanny walked closer and sat on the bed next to the ill princess.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Lucinda asked, and Daisy shook her head.

"No, I can't sleep," Daisy said. Lucinda nodded when the princess heard the noise. It was only faint, sounding like iron hitting iron, and faint shouts come along with it. Daisy frowned, glancing at the door. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Lucinda said, "The men from the south have drunk too much yesterday, I'm afraid." Daisy noticed her nanny sounded a bit tense. How could she not feel tense, when those men from the south were making a mess downstairs?

"I've got something for you," Lucinda quickly said, and she reached into her pocket. She took a small vial out of it, containing a dark blue liquid. She handed it to Daisy, who held it in her hand and stared at it.

"What is it?" Daisy asked, curious about the strange gift.

"Something that'll make you sleep better," Lucinda said, "If you drink it, you will sleep well."

"Are you sure?" Daisy had had little sleep that night, only one hour or two, if she had to guess. She could use the sleep and wanted to rest for some hours.

Lucinda nodded, maybe a bit too eagerly. "Yes," she said, "Go on. Hopefully, you'll be better when you wake up."

Daisy did not hesitate. She opened the vial and drank the liquid in one go. She could already feel the effects of this drink as she put the vial on her bed. Lucinda took it, so Daisy would not have to worry about it too much.

While all of this played out, the noise and the screams grew louder. Daisy glared at the door as if that would help silence it. It started to sound more like a fight was going on than drunken men making a fuss. Daisy tried to sit up, but she couldn't. Her limbs were heavy and she could barely sit up anymore. She started to grow terrified because, even though she wanted this, she had no idea it would work so quickly.

Lucinda noticed the girl's distress. "It's nothing to worry about," the nanny said, a forced smile on her face as she looked at the girl. "I'm certain Ademar will take care of it." She reached out for the girl and stroked her hair lovingly.

"Just go to sleep. It'll be fine." Lucinda's soothing voice helped Daisy accept the effects of the drink and stopped fighting them. The effects washed over her as soon as she let her guard down. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes and getting her rest, was Lucinda's face going from a smile to a worried expression.

* * *

Ademar woke up when someone knocked on the door. He opened his eyes and watched the door. Nothing happened.

He sighed. This castle was old, maybe too old. Sometimes, he should get someone to look at it and fortify it even more. It was long overdue, it seemed, as he thought he just heard someone knocked on the door.

He closed his eyes to go back to sleep. Someone knocked on the door.

"Sir?" A voice from the other side called. Ademar sat up in his bed. So it wasn't the castle – something was wrong. They wouldn't wake him in the middle of the night (or six fifteen in the morning, for that matter) if everything was alright.

Ademar got out of bed and grabbed a coat, which he put on before opening the door. The guards at his door were facing him now instead of focusing on anyone who could potentially enter the corridor leading to his chambers, their spears resting against the wall behind them.

Ademar frowned when he recognized Micah and Danny were standing in front of him. "Where are Gabriel and Balthazar?" Micah and Danny took the second shift in front of his door. When he stood up, he would be greeted by Gabriel and Balthazar, knowing they would have been standing in front of his door since five in the morning.

"That's why we woke you," Micah said, "they didn't show up."

That was more than enough for Ademar to become suspicious. It also served as the confirmation that something was definitely wrong. Gabriel and Balthazar were dutiful and, most of all, punctual soldiers of the guard. He knew them personally and so he knew they'd never decide not to show up without warning anyone.

Something was really wrong. Something needed to be done about it. Now.

"Micah, go to the barracks. Go wake everyone, even the Southerners if you must. Tell them to get their weapons and stay alert."

Micah nodded, saluting his steward. "Yes, sir!" He grabbed his spear and ran off, on his way to the barracks. Ademar then turned his attention to Danny.

"Go to the watchtower and ring the bell. I don't want anyone to get in or out of the castle."

"Yes, sir, but…" Danny trailed off, and eventually took a deep breath. "Gabriel and Balthazar could just be late."

Ademar looked at him. Danny was the newest recruit, only came in months ago. He didn't know the men too well yet, he didn't know how even the slightest of deviation could mean the castle was under attack.

"At six in the morning?" Ademar asked. Gabriel and Balthazar were never late. "Look, Danny, something's happening here and I don't want to take any risks. Better to be safe than sorry. Now, will you go ring that bell, soldier?"

Danny nodded. "Yes, sir!" he said, now more convinced of Ademar's judgment. He took the spear that still rested against the wall with him before he too left.

After Danny left, Ademar briefly walked into his room again. He couldn't just stay down and do nothing when something or someone was inside the castle, wreaking havoc. He grabbed his sword and looked at the chain of mail that was resting on the chair. It had protected him during his long life, and never had he had any other object that long.

Ademar shook his head. _No_ , he thought. _Not enough time._ He left the room without putting on the chain of mail. He did not run through the corridor – instead, he preferred to walk slowly, to try and not to make any loud noises that could attract unwanted attention.

Maybe I'm going crazy. Maybe it's nothing. He shook his head. It's never nothing.

At long last, after descending the stairs, he reached one of the doors leading to the courtyard. It was opened, and Ademar could look outside. Everything looked the same as it always had, with one exception. Danny lay in the snow, his spear on the ground next to him. An arrow was stuck in his chest.

Ademar cursed under his breath and forced himself to look away. _They have archers._ Whoever they were, it was clear they didn't want anyone crossing the courtyard. Who knew, maybe corpses were scattered all over the yard.

The walls. He could look from the walls where his enemies were. There would be an archer somewhere on there, but he'd slay him as soon as he saw the man who killed his own. He turned around almost immediately and again slowly, he walked off to the entrance.

On top of those stairs, he silently opened the door. He stopped in his tracks when he saw that one man with a crossbow in his arms. He dropped all sense of safety and charged at the man. At the last moment, the archer noticed him.

"Hey!" he said, throwing his arms into the air and turning his chest to the steward. In the light of the nearby torch, Ademar saw the black tree on a field of silver and green. The Grundenwald crest. He relaxed and nodded at him. He hoped his archer had taken out his own, but he still was cautious. You never knew what the enemy was capable of.

A door, down at the courtyard, opened. Ten men marched through the door, two of them with crossbows in their hands. Ademar assumed one of those bastards had killed Danny. The advisor came out of the door behind them, protected by half of the guards he brought with him. The man turned to the door, said something to the people inside. Then, Lucinda walked out of the door, carrying Daisy in her arms. Lucinda wrapped the girl in a blanket, so she wouldn't get any more ill in this weather.

"No," Ademar said in a low voice as he watched the scene unfold. No, no, no! This couldn't be happening. Where was Micah with the back-up? Either way, Ademar knew he had to do something about it.

"Fire," Ademar told the archer before turning his back on him and marching back to the door. The archer was obedient and he shot. Ademar stopped in his tracks when he felt a sharp pain in his chest area, which quickly spread to his entire body. He looked down at his chest. An arrowhead stuck out of his chest. A red spot on his coat, through which the arrowhead was visible, grew steadily.

 _The archer…_ he thought. _He dressed as one of my men._

And then: _Daisy._

The ground gave way under his feet. The light went out before he hit the ground.


	8. The tower

**Hey, guys. You ready for the penultimate chapter? Yeah, the next one's the last, but that's not bad. I wasn't planning on dragging this one out for too long, anyway. Well, here are my replies to your reviews, and then you can read what they've done with Daisy:**

 _CrazyHayniac:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, there's definitely trouble in North Upswich. But hey, there always was going to be. and yes, Ademar was such a father figure. In a first draft, he was going to betray everyone for something the Southerners offered him, but I decided to change it. It didn't feel like Ademar to me, and now he's dead._

 _PurpleNicole531:_ _It was the only action-packed chapter of this story. The clothes-swap idea comes from the sacking of Troy. And yes, Ademar had to go! There was no other way the plot could be pushed forward while he lived, so... RIP Ademar. And Daisy's fine. I guess it could be better, but at least she's fine. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

When Daisy woke up, she did not want to get up. She had slept so well, she did not want to get out of her bed just yet. She also was feeling much better than she had before. She put off opening her eyes for as long as she could, but she never could stay that long in bed anyway.

She opened her eyes and she sat up. The smile on her face disappeared and she looked around the strange room, in the room she did not recognize. Like she'd woken up in a whole new world. She had awoken in a bed she did not know, which stood in a completely different room. Everything felt wrong. The bed was wrong, the chair was wrong, the fireplace was wrong, even the door and the shape of her window.

She ran to the window to look outside of it. Even the view was wrong, looking over the trees of some forest during the sunrise, standing high above the ground in some sort of tower. There was no sign of civilization anywhere, not even a road between the trees.

The door. She turned around and ran towards it. She grabbed the doorknob and pulled as hard as she could. The door did not budge. She pushed it just as fiercely, but it did not move at all. She could not open it. She slammed her hands against the hard oak wood and shouted. The more noise she made, the sooner someone may come up to find her and save her.

After a couple of minutes, she stopped. If nobody was around, she'd better spare her voice for when she knew someone was around. If anyone had heard her during those minutes, they would not come to make an attempt to save her. She did not know who 'they' were, but they could not be good.

She walked over to her bed and sat down. there were two things she knew for certain. One, she was feeling much better than the last day. Two, she had no idea where she was and what was happening, which terrified her.

Daisy started to cry. What else was there for her to do? She sat there for what felt like ages when there were no more tears to shed, it seemed.

A soft click came from the door. Daisy turned her attention to it and sat silently, waiting for something to happen. Briefly, she thought she had imagined the sound. Then, the door opened and a familiar person walked into the room.

Daisy sighed in relief. "Lucinda!" she shouted as she jumped off the bed and ran towards her, grabbing her in a hug. Lucinda hugged her back. If she had any tears left, she would've cried.

"Hey, Daisy," she said. Hey? Was that all she had to say about this situation? But she discarded any thoughts about that offhand comment of her nanny and she took a step back.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Where am I?"

"Easy there…" Lucinda said, but Daisy did not slow down. She shook her head, her breath uneven and fast, her hands shaking.

"I'm in a room I don't know," she said and almost broke down in tears again. It felt like her heart would jump out of her chest if it beat any faster. Lucinda, taking pity on the distressed girl, took Daisy's hand and she led her to the bed, all the while speaking soothing words.

"It's okay, you're safe here. You're safe." Together, they sat down on the bed. Daisy's heart still raced and her hands still trembled, but she was calmer. It wasn't as bad as before. Lucinda's voice had had the wished effect, and Daisy took deep breaths. Lucinda was with her – she was safe, they were safe.

"What's going on?" Daisy asked, turning her head to Lucinda, not looking away from her. Her nanny sighed.

"Ademar…" she paused, leaving silence for a few seconds. She continued after this: "He chose the wrong fiancé for you."

Daisy frowned. "What do you mean?" Her nanny sighed – she was having a hard time talking about the subject. It had to be a sensitive matter. Daisy waited patiently and eventually, it took her another half a minute before she could talk about it.

"Sebastian, your fiancé, came yesterday morning right after the Southerners left. He wanted to marry you straight away. He would've done it that same day. Ademar refused." Lucinda took a deep breath. "Sebastian and his friends drew their swords started to attack. You were still asleep when it happened. We decided it would be best to move you to a safe location.

Daisy's eyes widened. "Can't Ademar just stop the engagement?" How dare he attack her friends! This was not something she could tolerate and so made up her mind: Sebastian would never be her husband, no matter what the laws said about it. She also knew an engagement could be called off and so she hoped Ademar was doing just that.

"Unfortunately, that is difficult," Lucinda said, "But once he has annulled the engagement, he will start to look for a better candidate." A smile briefly appeared on her face, directed to Daisy. "And yes, you will choose who will marry you in the end."

Daisy nodded. Even though she liked that, but there were other problems, other issues she needed to take care of first, other questions that needed to be answered.

"How long do I have to stay here?" She didn't like this place, but she would stay here if this was the best way to keep Sebastian away from her.

Lucinda's smile disappeared. "I don't know. Maybe a few months?" She shrugged to tell Daisy non-verbally she truly had no idea how long her stay would be. "I can't tell. I guess it all depends. Sebastian won't stop until he's found you. Maybe you will have to stay here until you're married."

Daisy nodded. She took a deep breath, to keep her racing heart under control. The shock paralyzed her, leaving her unable to react in any other way than trying to calm down. Lucinda put her arm around Daisy and pulled her closer in a warm hug. Daisy leaned against her nanny, feeling the warmth of her body.

"It's going to be alright," Lucinda said, "I will take care of you." Daisy nodded again. If she still had any tears left… but there were none, only the realization that she not only lost her parents but also the access to her home in a few months' time. But she still had Lucinda and Ademar. At least that was something.

Lucinda stood up from the bed when Daisy was done hugging and walked towards the door. Panic rose again within the princess – she was leaving again.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get you something to eat, okay?" Lucinda flashed a smile in her direction. "I'll be right back." Lucinda closed the door behind her and a soft click followed shortly after. Daisy sat still on the bed, waiting for Lucinda to return with breakfast. There still were questions left, and she wanted – no, needed – to know the answers.

* * *

Lucinda locked the door behind her, pulling the key out of it. She let out a breath of relief as she walked away from it, down the spiral stairs. If she had looked calm before, all of that was now gone. She could keep it together in front of Daisy, but without her in sight, she could finally show how utterly terrified she was of the situation.

There were some more rooms placed on top of each other, with Daisy's room being the top one. She knew there was a kitchen at the bottom and so walked down the stairs, her steps echoing in the narrow area. Even though she walked as silently as she could, she was even more careful when she passed the first room she came across on her way down. Please don't open, she thought.

But the door opened and Lucinda stopped dead in her tracks. Her blood ran cold when it was not one of his men, but the prince himself walked out of the room.

He had grown so much. All traces of the boy he once was, was now gone, having become a man over the years. His blond hair now almost touched his shoulders. His skin was darker, making it easier to see the scar running down his cheek, the scar his father gave him before the prince managed to kill the old man. Gilles stared at the with a cold, calculated look in his eyes.

"How did it go?" Gilles asked with feigned interest.

"She doesn't suspect a thing," Lucinda quickly said. A smile appeared on his face – a big, charismatic smile. For a moment, there was no trace of the cold-blooded prince. For a moment, he looked just like any other sixteen-year-old knight having the time of his life.

Gilles nodded. "Good, let's keep it that way." He looked at the stairs leading down. "You can continue." Lucinda took her chance and walked down the stairs as fast as she could without running. She kept this pace until she had reached the kitchen and locked the door behind her, after which she breathed in relief.

Gilles was not telling her everything. But she did not need the Crown Prince of South Upswich to piece his plan together. Gilles only ever told her what cover-up story to tell Daisy, and left it at that.

But Lucinda wasn't stupid. She did not know him well, but she has met men like him, who thought they were the smartest people in the world. She knew was Gilles was up to.

Daisy, locked in a tower for years, under the guise that it is to protect her from Sebastian. She would start to despair and beg for help, beg for someone to save her from the life in this tower. Gilles would swoop in, 'killing' some of the men guarding her. He would explain the situation to the princess: Sebastian had placed her there, as to protect her from any influence until she was old enough to marry. By then, Gilles would look like a prince Charming to Daisy. She would be overjoyed by her finally being able to leave the tower. She'd be grateful, maybe even grateful enough to repay Gilles – who would act like a gentleman the entire time – with a wedding between the two. Sebastian, of course, would be killed or banished. And Gilles would have what he wanted: Daisy and the rule over all of Upswich.

Lucinda knew better than to tell Gilles about what she knew. She also knew better than to tell him it may not go as he wanted it since Daisy was a stubborn little girl. If she didn't like you before, she wouldn't like you even if you saved her from a life in a tower from an evil fiancé.


	9. (A light at the end of) The tunnel

**Hello, everybody, and welcome to the last chapter. I'd like to thank you all. Thanks for reviewing, favoriting and following if you did so, but most importantly, thanks for reading this story. I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for you. And now, after I respond to your reviews for the last time, you can read the last chapter:**

 _OddDangerSpiritualCyberLover17:_ _Thanks for reviewing! Please read thoroughly to know why Daisy cried. Just because it isn't explicitly stated, doesn't mean there aren't hints in the writing. Besides, it is made clear why she's crying. If you have any more questions after reading this chapter, again: please, read thoroughly._

 _CrazyHayniac:_ _Yeah, I also found it unbelievable that she had no idea why she was there. I mean, really? Of course Lucinda would've told her something. About the ending... all I can say is that it's probably a happy ending. Thanks for reviewing!_

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Writer207**

* * *

Daisy celebrated her fifteenth birthday a couple of weeks ago. Not only did this mean the winter was done and that the temperature would rise, but also that she and Lucinda had their own small party. Lucinda had given her a new pink dress, which she was wearing today, as well as giving her a necklace. It was a heart-shaped pendant, something Lucinda had just retrieved. Daisy recognized it - it was once her mother's, who always wore it, except when she would go out hunting. Daisy had been grateful to receive it now, promising to never take it off. So far, she managed to keep that promise. After these years, any little thing that reminded her of her parents was welcome, since there was so little.

But times weren't always happy. Most of the time, Lucinda tried to plan activities with Daisy inside her tower, so she wouldn't be bored. Yet, it came to her from time to time. She had found a way to keep track of time. Every day, she would put a small line in a stone on her wall. Every stone would have no more than seven lines, to indicate a week had gone by. By now, the walls were covered with these lines, but not all stones were carved in.

Lately, she also had been seeing things in a different light. It started with the last letter Ademar sent her - they had stayed in touch through mail, as he always was too busy to visit. No, it wasn't Ademar - somebody sent it on behalf of him. To inform her Ademar had passed away. The letter said Sebastian and some friends ambushed Ademar on a trip. He got an arrow to the chest, dead before he hit the ground.

Daisy thought about her old friend a lot. She thought about the kingdom - it was in good hands still, as Ademar had appointed a successor in case he would die before Daisy became an adult. She thought about his killer - Ademar had annulled the marriage arrangement and had been looking for fine young men for Daisy to choose from.

She imagined his death. For months, she had nightmares. A hooded figure would come out behind the trees and raise his bow, while Ademar did not see him. This hooded figure was Sebastian, no doubt, but she could not see his face either - how could she see the face of a man she had never seen in her entire life? Without any effort, he would release the arrow and it would strike Ademar in the chest.

In similar fashion, nightmares about her parents resurfaced. She dreamt of how they were stalked by the boar, in her dreams twice as big as she knew they were. She dreamt of her parents, while they ran away from it. It always ended with her father being tossed around, always hitting a tree and falling on the ground. In both nightmares, however, she never could spot any blood.

They always seemed so real. But when she opened her eyes, she remembered they were only nightmares, the ones she could go to in her dreams, to escape her own nightmare.

The tower. Her own comfortable prison cell. No way out, no way she would ever leave without a fiancé. No way anyone would rescue her. And if someone did find her here and take her away, she hoped it wouldn't be Gilles. He would be nineteen now, the right age to marry a noblewoman and declare her queen of South Upswich. Anyone would do, as long as it wasn't him.

From time to time, she remembered a fairy tale from her youth. It described how a young princess was kidnapped as a baby by an ugly witch and then had to grow up in a tower, without ever cutting her hair, making its length longer than the princess'. She couldn't help but compare herself to the long-haired princess from time to time, though she could also still see the differences. She had brown hair that wasn't ridiculously long. She had only been in the tower for some years. And Lucinda was definitely not a witch.

But, despite everything that has been going on, despite all the nightmares, she still hoped. She hoped that she would leave the tower. She hoped she would have a caring and loving husband one day. She hoped her fiancé wouldn't be such an impatient bastard as Sebastian was. She hoped Gilles would stand down once her choice was made. she hoped her people would finally be safe when she ruled over them. And, above all, she hoped everything would be alright.

The wind blew in her face, which took her out of her thoughts. Daisy looked up at the window, wondering if she'd forgotten to close it again. But it was locked, so there shouldn't be any wind inside.

The fire that burned in the fireplace danced as the wind blew it, eventually growing strong enough to put it out. Daisy stood up from her bed and walked towards the fireplace, curious and frightened about what was going on.

She never knew how to properly describe it. It started as a green dot, floating near the fireplace. It swirled around, growing bigger and bigger with every passing second. Daisy backed away from it until she stood against the wall. She tried to look away, but she could not take her eyes off of her. What was this thing? Was it magic? And why wasn't she as afraid as she should be?

It stopped growing at one point, now being as big and wide as a grown man. It still swirled, giving off this dark green light. The wind was still blowing, butt it now was more softly, no longer able to push even the lightest of objects off of anything.

Daisy cautiously took a step towards the mesmerizing appearance. As she got closer, she thought she could see something inside of it. It was a room - no, it was a tunnel. A long tunnel with no end. But where did it lead to?

An itch came up, one Daisy could not scratch. A thought she once had pushed away, one she'd buried, had returned. _I can leave the tower._ For a long time, she would ask Lucinda to let her out, if only for a few minutes. Lucinda always refused, because Sebastian still was looking for her. She could open her window and her head fit through it, but that was all she could do to get some fresh air. It was all because the door was always locked and there wasn't anything in her room to pick it with. She never could escape, until now.

 _I can leave the tower._ But where would it lead?

She dd not know, she did not care. All that mattered, was that she could get a change of scenery, that she could finally leave her room up in the tower, that she could go elsewhere. Where to, it didn't matter. For all she cared, it could lead to Gilles' castle and she would walk through it. After years of seeing the same room, she could be free once more, and then it did not matter where she ended up being.

Determined, she stepped forward and the green light consumed her.

* * *

Daisy was ready to go home now. Before she left, she did charge Sebastian with treason. All this time, nobody told her that it wasn't Sebastian, but Gilles that had attacked her home. That was more than enough reason for her to return - she needed to see what had happened, what was left, what could be salvaged. She was their crown princess and as much as she loved the future, she had to go back.

Her servants, who had not seen her those three years, welcomed her back at the castle. When Gilles heard of this, he came to her and tried to win her over again, using his wit. But having learned the truth from her servants, she turned him down. That was the last straw - Gilles commandeered his army to lay siege to Seanton castle. But during his three-year reign, he had treated his men badly. They hated the way he treated them. Many old friends turned to enemies, turned on him. The fight that ensued was short. Daisy herself did not pick up a sword herself, but she did decide over Gilles' fate.

He was spared. Everything he ever owned then belonged to Daisy, including the reign over South Upswich. And so, Upswich was reunited under Grundenwald rule. Gilles was stripped of his nobility. There was no prison cell to his name, because Daisy exiled him to the Ottoman Empire, far from home. The last thing anyone heard from him was that he had reached those strange lands.

Daisy ruled over Upswich the way her father would, guided by the advice Ademar had given her, surrounding herself with some trusted friends. She did eventually find a suitable husband, a nobleman that didn't annoy her, though he could never live up to the likes of Barry Eisenberg. Throughout her life, her friends from the future visited her. They never seemed to age a single day, while she grew older. She gave birth to a son, who received his mother's last name, and thus succession was guaranteed.

All in all, she had her happily ever after, even though it was not the way she imagined it as a child.

* * *

 _ **The End**_


End file.
